Maxed Out

"Rrriiinnnng. Rrriiinnnng" "Tourism Whistler Central Reservations. Dave speaking. How can I help you?" "Yeah, hi Dave.

Dear Santa: Forgive me if my letter seems particularly early this year. When I saw Second Cup’s ads in the newspapers encouraging people to order their holiday gift baskets I thought I’d waited too long.

Some minutes before six, morning was just beginning to wash the sky colours of false dawn: soft pastel pinks, faded transparent blues, promising yellows.

Hear that? Listen more closely. Now do you hear it? That, my friends, is the sound of summer slammin’ shut.

When the only tool you own is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. That?s a famous saying. It?s probably Chinese. Every famous saying seems to be Chinese.

I had a fawning crush on my first teacher.

Orion, the hunter in Greek and Roman mythology, was a giant of a man. Of course, during the time of Orion, anything over five feet five would have been considered a giant of a man, Cyclops notwithstanding.

Words are so weird it’s a wonder any clear idea ever gets communicated using them. This, of course, is a terrible admission for someone who writes words and gets paid for it to make but perhaps familiarity has bred contempt.

The sun was high in the sky last Friday, though clearly further south along the Earth’s tilt than it was a month ago.

After the US Civil War, carpetbaggers from the North descended on the South like Christians invading Infidels during the Holy Crusades. It was all about plunder, wealth and power.